Not Forsaken

Perhaps you've experienced "abandonment" when it's time to clean-up after a party or when there's no one to help with a flat tire. From the cross, Jesus cried out to The Father, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46). It has been suggested by some that Jesus wasn't literally forsaken, He only felt forsaken. The Scripture is clear on what Jesus said: the Greek word "egkataleipō" is best translated "totally abandoned, deserted." In those moments of His suffering, Jesus (the sinless one) became our sin; He was forsaken so that you and I would never be forsaken. Life is hard - situations, circumstances and relationships can bring-on feelings of hopelessness and despair, leaving us with the same feelings Jesus uttered in those dark moments on the cross. Even then, Jesus was willing to suffer abandonment - it was part of God's plan for me and for you so that need never suffer in such a way. When all seems lost and hopeless, know with with the full confidence of Jesus, you we are not alone. We are ... not forsaken.

What I Need

Have you ever tried to buy a gift for someone who seems to have everything they need ... and want? It's a real dilemma! Over the years I've received a handful of gifts - greatly appreciated but neither needed nor wanted. We become anxious about many things, and one such thing is what we "think" we need. I am not too far removed from a season of life when I regularly confused what I wanted with what I actually needed! In His earliest teachings, Jesus speaks to our battle with anxiety immediately after telling us we cannot be devoted to both God and "stuff" ... "Therefore I tell you, stop being worried or anxious (perpetually uneasy, distracted) about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, as to what you will wear. Is life not more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow [seed] nor reap [the harvest] nor gather [the crops] into barns, and yet your heavenly Father keeps feeding them. Are you not worth much more than they?" (Matthew 6:25-26 AMP). When Mister Bill and I moved several years ago, we had the task of going through forty-five years worth of stuff; during those [roughly] twenty trips to the landfill, it became a spiritual exercise in understanding the difference between ... want and need. God is the perfect Father: He knows exactly what we need and He is altogether willing and able to provide that need. It really comes down to just how much we really trust Him. Jesus sums it up for us in Verses 33-34: "But first and most importantly seek (aim at, strive after) His kingdom and His righteousness [His way of doing and being right - the attitude and character of God], and all these things will be given to you also. So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." There's peace and contentment in giving God my wants and trusting Him with my needs. He knows ... what I need.

Fear the Lord

One of my Girls (by marriage) is an avid professional baker. She is locally known for her decorative cupcakes, sourdough breads, cakes and cookies. One thing that makes her items so popular is the quality of their ingredients! "The [reverent] fear of the LORD is the beginning (the prerequisite, the absolute essential, the alphabet) of wisdom; a good understanding and a teachable heart are possessed by all those who do the will of the LORD; His praise endures forever." (Psalm 111:10 AMP). Like the foundational ingredient in a recipe, the "fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom." I suspect when asked "do you fear the LORD?" the quick response for most of us would be "yes, of course." Good answer, but how well is our answer reflected in our obedience to The Lord's commands? The fear of the Lord describes an obedient response, a heart humbled before Him with awe and wonder! I fear too often my own "fear of the Lord" is absent of awe and wonder of the Most High God. I'm reminded of making peanut butter cookies years ago and carelessly left out the sugar; of course, they were terrible! The psalmist says God's praise endures forever ... that's because He is to be feared - held in awe mingled with admiration inspired by the wonder of who He is. The more we do His will (obey Him), the more we learn and understand how awesome and wonderful He is. Like the delicacies of my Girl's kitchen, key ingredients are essential, they matter most ... fear the Lord!

Declare It!

This older-me recalls an old-fashioned exclamation used by my grandparents' generation; they would say "I declare" or "I do declare" to express surprise or disbelief. My Nanny would often slap her knee when she ... declared! God is known to "declare" - to make Himself known: "Splendid and majestic is His work, and His righteousness endures forever. He has made His wonderful acts to be remembered; the LORD is gracious and merciful and full of loving compassion. ... He has declared and made known to His people the power of His works." (Psalm 111:3-4, 6 AMP). Many people think God is unknown in parts of the earth, however, His Word tells us: "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims His handiwork." (Psalm 19:1 ESV) ... "For His invisible attributes, namely, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse." (Romans 1:20 ESV). Evidence of God's Presense - Divine Design - are everywhere throughout God's creation! Those who have responded to God's gracious gift of Jesus, however, are commanded to openly declare His Goodness: "Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous works among all the peoples!" (Psalm 96:3 ESV) ... "Let them give glory to the Lord, and declare His praise in the coast lands." (Isaiah 42:12 ESV). Now is the day and the time to give God the glory for all His good works and eternal goodness. Yes, we must ... declare it!

He Is Trustworthy

The 1971 Alka-Seltzer commercial made famous these words "try it, you'll like it" when a waitress suggested a particular entree to a customer. He tried it and ended up with Alka-Seltzer for his dessert. I admit there are foods I've refuse to even taste; ultimately, I cannot say with confidence whether I like them or not. The psalmist writes of God, "The works of His hands are truth and [absolute] justice; all His precepts are sure (established, reliable, trustworthy)." (Psalm 111:7 AMP). The establishment, reliability and trustworthiness of God are not dependent upon me or you: "Great are the works of the LORD, studied by all those who delight in them" (V.2). His very eternal (unchanging, unwavering) nature is sure and steadfast ... that is, whether we believe it or not! I can refuse to believe gravity is what it is and does what it does, but gravity itself remains unchanged by what I think; I can refuse to acknowledge gravey and it will not end well for me. The wisest way we can act toward God is to respectfully and reverently "try it, you'll like it" ... trust Him and He will prove Himself to be all that He is and do all that He says He will do. "Put Me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need." (Malachi 3:10 ESV). What hinders you today from trusting God with all your fears of uncertainty? God can be trusted because ... He is trustworthy.